Hoping for a Chance
by Caitlin51
Summary: Simmons develops a relationship with another SHIELD student, but Fitz thinks he's bad news. Or is he just jealous? FitzSimmons at the Academy.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

_A/N: So, I have been wanting to do a FitzSimmons story for a while, and then I got the idea of doing one with them at the academy. I'm excited about it, so I hope you like it! (Note: I may not be completely canonically accurate all the time...sorry.)_

_Disclaimer: I own nothing. At all._

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"I still think you're wrong." Simmons objected, leaning against the wall and rubbing her temples. It was yet another late night spent working on exorbitant amounts of homework courtesy of the rigorous Academy curriculum.

Tiredly, Fitz flopped down face-first on the bed next to her. "Mmm." The sound was muffled. "Can we think about it later?"

"I wish," Simmons said fervently, "but, unfortunately, class starts in four hours.'

"S'okay. Who needs grades?" Fitz mumbled, sitting up. His shirt was now rumpled and he looked like he was on the verge of falling asleep where he sat.

Simmons rolled her eyes. They had this same conversation a couple times a week - every time that they were up at 4am still doing homework, as a matter of fact. And the ending was always the same as well - Fitz complained, she insisted, and they managed to somehow finish it just before the start of class. As painful as this pattern was, they were the top in all their classes because of it. They continued until dawn.

"So, since we're both stressed and exhausted, do you want to take a break tonight?"

Simmons looked up from her lunch, surprised. "Tonight?" She squeaked, feeling her face flush ever-so-slightly.

"Yes?" Fitz made it sound more like a question. "It is Friday, after all."

Simmons took another bite of pizza - pepperoni and mushrooms, her favourite - and chewed it thoroughly before responding. "I don't think…"

"Why not?" Demanded Fitz, cutting off her excuse. "It's okay to take one night off."

"No, Fitz, it's just…" SImmons tried again to explain, but nothing brilliant occurred to her.

He leaned towards her, his expression earnest. "Glow-in-the-dark bowling. My treat." He grinned, obviously fully aware that Simmons loved bowling and that it would be a hard offer for her to pass up.

"Err...can we talk later?" Gathering up her books and stuffing them into her already fell backpack, Simmons bolted from the table before Fitz could say anything else. _He'll be upset,_ she thought, _and I don't want that. Can't I just keep him in the dark?_

She had three hours of classes without Fitz that afternoon, which she spent agonizing over the best way to tell him. As she left her last class for the day, Advanced Molecular Biology, she saw him leaning against the wall in his usual spot. Every day, without fail, he waited for her to get out of class so he could walk her home. Usually, she found it sweet and appreciated the gesture, but today it just ruined her plans of avoiding him.

"Jemma," Fitz greeted her brightly, falling into step beside her.

"Hi Fitz." Despite her best efforts to act normal, her voice came out as a higher pitch than normal. A dead giveaway to someone who knew her as well as Fitz did.

Sure, enough, Fitz put a hand on her arm, stopping her. "Spill."

"Err…" Jemma looked away, wishing that she was anywhere but there right now. "It's just...I can't…" She stalled.

"Go bowling tonight," Fitz finished her sentence. "I know that you are worried about Mechanics and Engineering of Basic Weaponry." He put a comforting arm around her shoulders. "I'll help you - I'm good at that stuff."

She smiled apologetically at him. "It's not that, although, yes, that class is killing me."

"Then what?"

"It's just...I have a date tonight." Simmons blurted out, feeling her face grow hot. She and Fitz were closer, but this was still awkward for her.

The expression on Fitz's face became unreadable. "A date." He repeated, his voice flat.

"Yes." She smiled weakly. "With Mike. From my Genetics class. We're going to dinner."

"Oh." The strange expression transformed into a smile, but his eyes were still unreadable.

"That's great, Jemma."

"Thanks." The walk back to her dorm room was silent - unusual for them. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Of course." This time the smile reached her eyes.

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_I hope you enjoyed! Please review and then I'll update quickly =)._


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Here is Chapter 2 - I updated quickly as promised, thanks to all your fabulous reviews =). Enjoy!_

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This situation had never occurred to him before. Thinking about it, it made sense. Simmons was beautiful, smart, and funny. It shouldn't be such a surprise that she was going out on a date. _But still_...Fitz groaned and leaned back in his chair, his feet up on his desk. _I should be happy for her. Why aren't I? _There was only one possible explanation for his feelings - he was worried. This guy could be a loser. "I have to do something," he said out loud, swinging his feet off his desk and standing up. "For Jemma's sake."

"It's a present." Fitz held out the silver necklace with the teardrop-shaped pendant for Simmons's scrutiny. Her date was in an hour, so he had come by to wish her well. Kind of.

"Fitz, you shouldn't have." She exclaimed, looking at him with a tender expression in her eyes, emphasized by her light make-up.

He ducked his head, feeling slightly guilty. But he rationalized that this was all for her own good. "I just felt bad about this afternoon - I should have been excited for you."

Brushing it off immediately, Simmons replied, "It's fine." A smile formed as she took the proffered necklace from his hands. "And thank you."

"Will you wear it tonight?" Fitz asked, trying to sound curious and like it didn't matter to him.

"Err, yes." She beamed at him. "Of course I will."

"Great." Unable to stop himself, he asked, "May I?" He took the necklace back from her after she nodded and moved to stand behind her. With a light finger, he moved the long strands of hair, revealing her soft neck. Resisting the temptation to linger, he fastened the necklace with deft fingers and then stepped away.

"How does it look?" She grinned as she turned to face him - apparently, she hadn't felt the intensity of the moment.

Fitz took a second to examine her. The light blue dress complemented her skin tone and emphasized all of her curves and the necklace added a subtle sparkle. His throat suddenly dry, Fitz replied, "Perfect. You look perfect."

Back in his dorm room, Fitz paced, his guilt and his worry battling inside him. _I really shouldn't...Jemma would kill me for spying on her. One the other hand, it's my duty as a friend to watch out for her. _Worry and curiosity finally won out, though, and he sat down with his laptop and brought up the video feed. With sound of course.

"...look beautiful." The audio switched on in the middle of a sentence - a male voice. Mike. _He sounds like a phony, _Fitz thought. _And shallow. Just complimenting her appearance - like that's all the matters. I mean, she is beautiful, but there's more to her. I don't see him complimenting her on her intelligence or her kindness. I bet he doesn't even know that she has a great sense of humour._

"Thank you." Simmons's voice responded. The camera zoomed in on the man's tie and went black for a moment - they were probably hugging. A muscle in Fitz's jaw tensed.

He kept a wary eye on the 'date feed' as he worked on his physics homework. They drove to the restaurant, making superficial small talk - nothing important. Nothing to fuel Fitz's worry. Guilt still plagued him, even though he kept trying to push it aside. _It's not really an invasion of privacy if I'm doing it to protect her, right? _Dinner didn't raise any red flags either. _Stinking gentleman,_ he thought, slightly bitter for no apparent reason, _holding out her chair for her. _He eyed the man resentfully. _And I bet you'll cover the cheque, too. _He was the type of man that women threw themselves at - attractive, athletic build, charismatic. _The type of man that uses women and then breaks their heart._ And Simmons, judging by the sheer amount of laughter, was not immune to his charms.

The goodnight scene was the hardest to watch, but Fitz couldn't tear his eyes away as he watched the jerk lean in and kiss her. _He kissed her on the first date, _Fitz thought, perking up, _that has to show her that he's no good!_

"Can I see you again?" Mike muttered.

"I would like that _very_ much." Simmons responded. He heard her breathing speed up.

Disgusted, Fitz pounded his fist down on his desk. _That jerk. The nerve!_

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_Please review - it's inspiring!_


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: I had midterms this last week, so I've been busy, but I managed to get a chapter out. Thanks for all the fabulous reviews =)._

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Simmons felt like she was living a fairytale - she couldn't express how happy she was. Mike was a dream come true. Though she had a hard day of homework ahead of her since she had taken last night off, the thought of that still couldn't remove the smile from her face.

Grabbing her phone from her nightstand as she rolled out of bed, she was pleased to see that he had already texted her 'good morning' despite the early hour. And that he wanted to meet her for lunch. She smiled as she pulled on her favourite fuschia blouse - today was going to be a good day.

"Jemma! Jemma, wait up!"

Turning around, Simmons saw Fitz jogging up behind her, his heavy backpack bouncing, a half-eaten apple in one hand. "Fitz," she smiled as she stopped to wait.

"Where were you this morning?" He asked as soon as he had caught up, looking concerned. "I thought we were meeting for breakfast before we headed to campus to study." He took a bite of the apple, chewing as they walked.

"Oh, no," realization struck Simmons, "I forgot! I'm so sorry - I had a late night."

"Yeah, you did," Fitz muttered sullenly, kicking at a pebble in their path.

"Forgive me?" She smiled her best winning grin at him and was relieved to see that there was no anger in his eyes as he met her gaze. Irritation, maybe, but no anger.

"Fine. You know I can't stay mad at you for long anyways."

For a while they walked in comfortable silence, neither feeling the need to make small-talk, before Fitz asked, "So...how was your date last night?"

_Finally,_ Simmons thought excitedly as they approached their normal study spot on the top floor of the science tower. She had been dying to tell him all about it, but didn't want to come off as too eager. He was her best friend, but he also was a man. And men didn't cope well with _feelings. _"Well," she said, drawing out the word as she sat down at a table and put her books down, "I don't know what to say. It was so wonderful!" She then proceeded to give him a detailed account of the entire date, completely missing the slightly pained expression on his face.

"Don't...don't you think that things are going a little too fast?" Fitz asked hesitantly.

"What?" Simmons glanced at him. "No. Things are perfect."

Fitz looked like her was going to object, but he stopped, looking at something behind her.

"Hey there, sexy." A deep voice called from behind her, making Simmons turn.

"Mike," she greeted him, feeling her heartbeat speed up at the sight of his tall figure. Glancing at her watch, she commented, "You're early."

He came over to stand behind her chair and rested his hands on her shoulders. "I missed you," he muttered, "So I came early." Raising his voice to normal tones, he said, "You must be Fitz. I've heard a lot about you."

"Likewise." Fitz's tone was flat and not terribly friendly.

Simmons glared at him. _He can be antisocial later. _Out loud, she asked, "Can you wait a couple minutes so Fitz and I can finish up?"

He hesitated. "Actually, babe, I need some help with the genetics homework before class today. You finished it, right?"

"Of course." She ignored the guilt in the pit of her stomach as she turned to Fitz. "Raincheck?" She asked weakly, feeling bad to cancel on him again, especially with midterms approaching.

"No problem. Don't worry about me."

The second those words came out of his mouth, Simmons knew that he was upset. She knew him much too well - he couldn't fool her. Feeling Mike squeeze her shoulder, she started gathering up her books. _I'll apologize to Fitz again later. It will be fine, _she tried to convince herself.

They started to walk away, Mike's arm around her shoulder, when she heard a barely audible comment from Fitz's direction. "I still can't believe you kissed him."

Simmons froze. _I never told him that. I know I didn't._

"You okay, babe?"

Ignoring Mike, she rushed back over to Fitz. Through clenched teeth, she demanded, "What did you say?"

"Nothing." Fitz denied immediately, his face turning a bright red. "I said nothing."

"You said that we kissed," Simmons hissed, "But I never told you that."

"No, I'm pretty sure you did." The guilt on Fitz's face confirmed to her that he was lying.

Then realization struck Simmons. "You were _spying_ on me!" The accusation hit home - the look in Fitz's eyes confirmed it. "I can't believe you." Angrily, she strode away without another word, dragging a confused Mike with her.

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_Please review and let me know what you think!_


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Hey all! So, I'm trying to still update pretty regularly, but school is busy with exams and all. I'll do my best to find time to write still =)._

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_This is Jemma Simmons - please leave a message and I'll call… _Disgustedly, Fitz pressed the 'end' button on the phone and let his mobile fall onto the bed next to him. Simmons had been avoiding him ever since their confrontation yesterday. Honestly, Fitz couldn't blame her - he had been a horrible friend even if he was just trying to protect her. _Leo, you idiot, _he moaned, flopping back onto the bed. _What have you done?_

"Jemma. Hi. We need to talk." Fitz jumped to his feet, cornering Simmons the second her door opened. He had been waiting for hours now, slumped awkwardly on the floor in front of her door. People had given him weird looks, but they did that anyway - it was nothing new.

"I have nothing to say to you," she sniffed, attempting to dodge around him.

"I know." Grabbing her arm, he halted her. "But I have something to say to you."

She paused, then slowly turned to face him. Her arms were crossed - never a good sign. "You have thirty seconds - go."

"Err...well," Fitz wracked his brain for the right words. Nothing magically appeared, so he just plunged in. "I was stupid, Jemma. You're my best friend and I want to take care of you and I was worried because I don't know this guy and what if he treated you badly and what if he hurt you…" He trailed off as she stepped forward.

"I forgive you," she said quietly. "But I'm still annoyed."

"I would expect nothing less." Actually, he was surprised that she was letting him off the hook so easily. She generally wouldn't hold a grudge, but she usually needed time to cool off before she was ready to talk.

Smiling, she added, "And thanks for looking out for me."

Relieved, he asked, "Do you want to grab lunch?" As soon as she looked away, hesitating, Fitz knew that he had made a mistake. "Or not."

"It's just, Mike and I..." she said, apologetic.

"Of course. Sorry." Awkwardly, Fitz stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"We're official, now," Simmons said, her voice unsure. Probably unsure about how he would take the news.

Internally, he felt his world slowly collapsing into a pit of despair. Outwardly, he just commented, "Oh. Congrats, Jem." He was proud that his voice didn't shake.

She smiled at his use of her nickname - the nickname that only he called her. "Thanks. But afterwards, we can meet up at your place to study?"

"I'd like that." Fitz smiled as she brushed past him.

That night, Fitz sat in his small room, alone. Simmons had cancelled their plans - it was beginning to become the norm rather than the exception. Wandering aimlessly to the kitchen, he opened his small cupboard - Ramen it was tonight. He groaned at the thought, but he had no choice, since it was Simmons who usually reminded him when he desperately needed to go get groceries. Leaning against the counter as the water heated up, he sighed. A sigh of deep regret. Regret for not having the courage to tell her how he felt when he had the chance.

"_And...and..." Fitz had stuttered, gathering every shard of courage he possessed. "And I guess I'm just trying to say that…"_

"_Hand me that sea foam blue coloured sample," Simmons had cut him off, gesturing vaguely behind her without removing her eye from the microscope._

"_Right. Of course." Walking over to the counter on the far side of the lab, he had surveyed the samples lined up on the counter. All of them had been a vibrant bluish-green colour. "Which one?"_

"_Sea foam blue." She had repeated absently._

_Fitz had squinted at them. They were still all bluish-green. Picking one at random, he had gently lifted it and carried it over to Simmons. "Here."_

_Pulling her gaze away from the microscope, she had looked at it dismissively. "That's the turquoise sample, Fitz."_

"_Oh, sorry." Returning it, he had taken a deep breath, grabbing another one for her inspection. "So, I was trying to tell you that I know we have been friends for a really long time, and I love our friendship more than…"_

"_Me too." Then she had sighed as she inspected the new sample. "That one is aqua. Can't you see the difference? Aqua is even green and blue tones, turquoise is slightly heavier on the green, and sea foam blue is, obviously, much heavier on the blue."_

"_Obviously," he had replied, even though they had still all looked identical to him._

"_Don't worry, I'll just find it myself." She had smiled at him to take the sting out of her words. "Anyway, were you trying to tell me something?"_

_Gaping at her for a second, Fitz suddenly lost all courage. And besides, a germy lab was not really the place to do this. "No. It was nothing."_

_She had shrugged. "Alright then."  
_

A hissing noise brought Fitz out of his reverie - the water was boiling. "Argh!" He cried, yanking the pot off of the burner. Glaring at it resentfully, he decided that it wasn't worth the trouble. He had lost his appetite, anyway.

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_Please review!_


	5. Chapter 5

_Sorry it's been awhile, but school is getting to the crazy phase! Anyway, enjoy this chapter - it's a little more heavy than normal, so prepare yourself!_

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A couple days had passed since Simmons had made up with Fitz after their little fight, and she felt like things had almost returned to normal between them. Sure, they didn't spend that much time together and he was more quiet than he used to be, but things were at least okay. _Or maybe they aren't, _she started to worry. _Maybe I'm losing Fitz because of Mike._

"You okay, babe?" Mike asked her. They were cuddled up on his couch, watching some action movie that had lost her attention long ago.

"Hmm? Oh, yes." She replied immediately, turning her head to look at him.

"Okay." He returned his attention to the movie.

"Well," Simmons bit her lip. "Actually, there is something bothering me. Just a little. It's probably nothing, though."

Shifting to face her better, Mike looked straight into her eyes. "Come on, Jemma. I can tell that it's important to you."

She hesitated, brushing back her hair. "It's Fitz," she blurted out. "I'm scared that I'm going to lose his friendship." His gaze bored into her. _Stupid move,_ she chided herself, _No boyfriend wants to hear about another man. _Mike didn't speak for a while, just stared at her blankly. "Say something," she finally said, the silence making her nervous.

He exhaled deeply, his eyes refocusing. "I knew that this was going to come up eventually."

Simmons narrowed her eyes slightly. "What do you mean?"

"Obviously, Fitz is in love with you." The words were calm, but she could tell that he was upset underneath the facade.

"Wait, what?" She cried, staring at him in shock as she finally assimilated the meaning of his sentence.

"Don't pretend you didn't know. Everyone knows."

"I didn't. I don't." Answering honestly, she interlaced her fingers with Mike's. "We're just friends."

He frowned and sighed. "If you were," he traced the back of her hand with his thumb, "then this wouldn't be a problem."

Jerking her hand away, she demanded, "A problem? You think that my friendship with Fitz is a problem?" She could feel anger rising up to the surface and forced herself to stop talking before she said something she would regret.

A flash of irritation showed on Mike's handsome features, but he quickly smoothed it away. "I'm sorry, Jemma, but it is. You have to end it."

Nothing showed on her face, but inside she felt like her heart was breaking into a million small pieces. "Fitz is my best friend." Her voice was cold.

"Listen to me," he said intently. "I really, _really_ hate to make this an ultimatum, but it's him or me."

Again, it took Jemma's brain a while to process. Then she felt a surge of multiple, conflicting emotions. Anger. Hurt. Confusion. Sadness. And an overall sense of feeling like she was breaking into a million tiny little pieces. "I...I can't do this," she forced out through the lump in her throat, feeling the hot tears welling up in her eyes.

"No one's forcing you." Mike's tone was like ice as he stood up and opened the door; a clear hint that she was no longer welcome. No longer a part of his life.

The tears started to fall the second she stepped out of his dorm room. Every step away from him felt progressively heavier and more difficult. Finally, she just collapsed against the wall of a hallway and hugged her knees to her chest. The tears fell even harder.

"Jemma?"

Lifting her tear-stained face from her knees, Simmons looked up into Fitz's concerned face. "Fitz?" She asked, disoriented. She must have cried herself to sleep on the floor of the hallway. It was still dark outside - there was little light entering from the windows. "What time is it?"

"About 2am." He eased himself down next to her and, putting his arm around her, pulled her closer.

She could smell his musky cologne - the scent helped to distract her from the pain. Her voice muffled against his sweater, she mumbled, "How did you find me?"

"I was waiting for you at your room to go over the homework, but you never showed up."

"So you came looking for me?"  
She felt him shrug against her. "I was worried - it's not at all like you."

They sat in silence for a couple minutes, Simmons just appreciating the comfort Fitz was offering. She gave no explanation, and he didn't ask - they both knew that she would tell him when she was ready. Finally, she sat up and wiped the tearstains off her cheeks. "How big of a mess am I?" She asked with a trembling laugh.

"Pretty big," he smiled at her. "But that's okay."

"Thanks." And in that moment, she couldn't remember ever being more grateful for anyone else in her life.

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_Please review!_


	6. Chapter 6

_This chapter is pretty short, so sorry for that! I think that there will probably be one more chapter in this fic that just adds the finishing touches, and then it will be done. Enjoy =)._

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"Ice-cream?" Trying to sound supportive, Fitz offered a container of double fudge brownie ice-cream (her favourite) and a spoon to Simmons, who was still curled up on the couch watching TV. He was a little worried about her - she had been like this all day and he had no clue what to do. All of his Academy training, all of his knowledge of electronics and physics, none of it helped him in the slightest when he had to comfort his heartbroken best friend.

"Yes please," she said, pushing herself up to a sitting position so she could accept the comfort food. Sitting beside her, Fitz also dug in with his own spoon.

"Need to talk?"

She licked the ice-cream off her spoon before responding. "I feel stupid."

"You're not." Fitz replied immediately, prompting a watery grin.

"Thanks," she mumbled. At Fitz's gesture, she continued, her gaze riveted on the ice-cream as she traced patterns in its surface with her spoon. "Mike didn't like how close I was to you."

Keeping the surge of anger tightly under controlled, Fitz merely nodded.

"And he wanted me to end our friendship. When I told him that wasn't an option," she sighed heavily, "He made it clear that I was no longer needed in his life."

"Jemma, I'm so sorry. You didn't have to do that." Though he said that, Fitz was extremely touched that his friendship meant that much to her.

"Yes I did." She said with no trace of uncertainty. "It's just that I didn't see this coming - I thought Mike was my prince charming, but he turned out to be just another frog."

"Don't beat yourself up about it," Fitz said, touching her arm gently. "Your prince charming is coming. Maybe he's even closer than you think." As soon as the words came out of his mouth, he mentally smacked himself. _Smooth, Fitz, _he hissed, _That wasn't obvious at all. Now is not the time to be hitting on her, anyway._

Simmons looked at him, her gaze questioning. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all. Just...well, nothing. Nope." The words just shot out of his mouth before he could think to formulate a real sentence.

"Okay…" Simmons drew out the word, but didn't press the issue as she took another bite of ice-cream.

"Err," Fitz quickly changed the subject, "Would you like to do something fun today to get you mind off of it?"

She giggled slightly, which made him smile. "You mean catch up on all the homework I haven't been doing lately?"

"You could...or…" He raised his eyebrows, "We could go out dancing. I know it's your favourite."

"But you don't even like it," she protested, but he could tell that she was tempted.

Leaning closer, he lowered his voice slightly. "If it makes you happy, I'm happy to go."

"Really?" Her smile beamed up at him. Jumping off the couch, she announced, "I'm just going to get changed and put some lipstick on, and then I'll be ready to go." She started to head back to her room, but then she stopped and approached him. "And thanks, Fitz. For everything." Leaning down, she kissed him gently on the cheek.

"Anytime." Touching his cheek, Fitz smiled. An evening of dancing was definitely going to be worth it.

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_Please review!_


	7. Chapter 7

_This is the final chapter of this fic - thanks for reading! If you liked my writing, please check out my new fic "The Hole in his Armour" or my ongoing fic "Just the Girl." I really enjoyed all our support and comments, and I hope you enjoyed reading this one =)._

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It had been a couple weeks now since the whole Mike fiasco, and Simmons felt like she was finally able to be herself and escape from the gloominess that had been hanging over her since their break-up. And if she was being honest with herself, most of the reason she was feeling so good was because of Fitz. Throughout the entire situation, he had been so great and supportive - spending extra time with her, making her laugh, helping her see that nothing was her fault…

Leaning back against the bench, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of her hair moving with the light breeze. It wasn't really that warm out, but she couldn't resist the chance to be outside even if she had to wear a light jacket overtop of her sweater.

"Jemma!"

At the sound of the familiar voice, Simmons looked over to see Fitz approaching, his hands full of textbooks and a big grin on his face. She loved that smile - it lit up his whole face. "Hey, Fitz," she greeted him, moving her bag so that he could sit next to her.

"Brought you your favourite - frozen yogurt. I know you can't resist…" Pulling two tightly covered containers out of his backpack, he waved one in front of her face enticingly.

Laughing, Simmons took it. "Thank you. I'm famished!"

Waving it off, Fitz took a large bite of his vanilla fro-yo. Eventually, he commented, "Jemma, can I tell you something?"

"Of course, Fitz," she smiled at him, curious as to why he sounded nervous.

"Well," he jammed his spoon into his yogurt and stared at the ground. "It's just...I think I...I think that maybe I might…" He cleared his throat. "I might be falling for you. Maybe."

"What?" Simmons immediately asked, shocked and confused. "What? You…you what?"

"What? Nothing." Looking immediately uncomfortable, Fitz leaned away and shoved a huge bite of yogurt into his mouth. "Nevermind. Forget I said anything."

"No, Fitz, I'm sorry. It's just that I'm confused." Simmons said the first thing that came to mind. "Really confused. I need some time…"

"Of course." Standing up, Fitz grabbed his backpack. "Got to go - class in half an hour." With that, he walked away.

_What just happened? _Simmons thought to herself as she watched him walk away. _How could he possibly be in love with me? We've always been friends. Best friends, but just friends… _However, no matter how much she attempted to justify it, she couldn't help feeling a little bit of doubt.

Standing, she picked up her things and noticed a piece of paper on the bench where Fitz had been sitting - he must have dropped it. Environmentally conscious as ever, Simmons reached for it. It may be wrong, but she couldn't help but read it before she threw it away. It was in Fitz's handwriting, and read:

Jemma, I don't really know how to say this. And I don't know if I'll have the courage to even try, but...

We've been friends for a long time, Jemma. But sometimes, you know friendship can turn into something more…

Remember that day in the lab? The day with the blue samples when I tried to tell you something? Well, here it is...

Jemma, you are my best friend. I love everything about you - your smile, your laugh, your wit. Everything. You make me laugh when you laugh, and you make me want to comfort you when you cry. You make me want to be a better person so I can deserve you.

Feeling tears come to her eyes, Simmons put a hand over her mouth. _Fitz,_ she though, stunned. _I never even knew. Never even thought._

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The door slammed behind him with a loud bang as he stormed into his apartment after class. _You're an idiot, Leo. You have no right to call yourself a genius. _He flopped down on the couch and stared up into the flickering overhead light. _You ruined everything - you've lost Jemma._ Closing his eyes, he wished that he were anyone else. Anyone other than Leo Fitz who didn't have a romantic bone in his body and had just blurted out that he loved his best friend instead of taking that time to do something romantic. _You're an idiot._ He stayed there watching the light flicker, his long legs hanging over the edge of the couch, until he fell asleep.

A loud knock on the door woke Fitz from his restless nap. "Go away," he muttered sullenly, not up to dealing with company.

"It's Jemma. Open up!" The voice yelled from the other side of the door.

Instantly wide awake, Fitz rushed to the door and yanked it open, revealing Simmons. Her hair was slightly frizzy and her clothes were wet. "It's raining."

His obvious and slightly inane comment made her laugh slightly. "Fitz, I've been stupid."

Stepping out into the drizzling rain and conveniently closer to Simmons, Fitz shut the door gently behind him. "I doubt it. I'm the one who's been stupid."

She shook her head and held up a damp piece of paper. "Is this what I think it is?"

It only took a second for Fitz to identify the scrap piece of paper that contained all his discarded practice speeches for telling her how he felt. "You weren't supposed to see that." Sticking his hands in his pockets, he fixed his gaze on the ground, again bemoaning his lack of romanticism.

"So it is." He felt her step closer to him. "Leo Fitz. I never knew what a romantic you are. And I certainly have been blind for a very _very_ long time."

His breath caught. Was she saying what he thought she was? Looking into her beautiful eyes, he swallowed and whispered, "I keep wishing that I was more romantic so that you would notice me like that."

She smiled slightly. "You are, though. This note, all those times you held me when I cried, those were romantic. And I can finally see that."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Not wasting a second more, Fitz put his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, then kissed her the way that he had wanted to for so long. It was passionate and tender, even better than the way Fitz had always imagined it. Finally pulling away, Fitz muttered quietly into her ear, "Jemma Simmons, I love you."

His heart fluttered as she murmured, "I'm sorry that it took me so long to realize it, but I love you too, Leo Fitz."

* * *

_Please review, and thanks for reading!_

_~Caitlin_


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